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Hometown, Alaska

The prologue alone is enough to make you bolt the door and bar the window, lest some wayward grizzly find you quivering there, come this June or July. But Dan Bigley’s “Beyond the Bear” is much more than a sensational bear attack white-knuckler. It takes the long walk to a recovery made possible only because of Bigley’s bone-deep resilience and uncrushable drive to recover. Find out who he is today, a decade after the attack, and how he got there. Lessons for us all.

Economics is a way of applying math and logic to the decisions we make. And when you do it, you find out a lot of the decisions we make don’t make much sense, not only the little stuff, also the big choices we make as a state. On the next Hometown, Alaska our guest is UAA Professor Kyle Hampton, who has studied that mysterious gap between how we behave, and how we think we behave.

Cohousing. Maybe you’ve heard the term, but wonder what it really means. This housing trend began in Denmark in the 1960s as some Danes realized they felt lonely in their single family homes. These are communities of private homes with shared common areas that are planned, owned and managed by residents who may share chores like cooking, childcare or yard work. How do they work? If there are conflicts, how are they managed?

Where will the next great idea come from? Founders of TED think it might be from you. Hence, they created a platform for local advocates to gather and share their inspiration. Anchorage’s next TEDx is March 30. Find out who’s speaking, and what they’re talking about. Maybe you’ve got a TED-worthy idea?

The Chugach National Forest, as the 2nd largest Forest in the nation, serves as the backyard to half of Alaska’s population and receives 500,000 visitors every year. The Chugach is one of only eight forests currently revising their 15-year Forest Plan under a new Forest Service Planning Rule. Join host Kathleen McCoy and her guests from the Chugach National Forest when they discuss how the new rule aims to actively engage Alaska communities on the next Hometown, Alaska.

Two plus two equals four no matter where you come from, but how you learn math or the other core subjects may be different for each of us depending on the world in which we live. For Alaska Native students, curriculum and methods developed for city kids may not work as well as lessons that are culturally relevant. On the next Hometown, Alaska Charles Wohlforth hosts educators working to make learning work across cultures discuss these challenges on today’s show.

Urban wildlife are a part of living in Anchorage. Having a moose at your front door makes a good facebook post for your relatives outside, but it’s not fun if you’re trying to get somewhere. Moose can be dangerous. We’ll talk about the pleasures and hazards of living with moose and bear in Anchorage, and explore ideas for how we can co-exist better. Whose habitat is this, anyway?

Last fall, a memorial was installed at Cuddy Family Park in remembrance of the African American Army Engineers who built the Alaska-Canada Highway, or ALCAN, during World War II. Of the 10,000 soldiers assigned to the project, four were regiments of African American Engineers from the 93rd, 95th and 97th Engineer General Service Regiments, and the 388th Engineer Battalion. Join host Shelly Wade and her guests Jean Pollard and Bishop Dave Thomas of The Alaska Highway Project when we celebrate Black History Month and this interesting chapter of Alaska history on the next Hometown, Alaska.

They perch on light poles and chastise you for parking too close. They harass your dog and tear in to your trash bags. They hunt with wolves. They save snacks for later. They make up to 30 distinct calls. They are our winter-in-Anchorage urban companions. Join host Kathleen McCoy and experts and fans of local ravens to share stories about their antics, their intelligence and their big personalities on the next Hometown, Alaska.

Anchorage Reads is a program that gets the whole town reading and talking about the same book. This time around, the book is by an Alaskan author– one who has received international honors and best-seller status. Eowyn Ivey, author of “The Snow Child,” will be with us on Hometown Alaska to take your questions about the book and share in a community discussion with readers.

Is it possible to have a civil conversation about important and potentially polarizing issues like Title 21, equal rights for gay people, housing for the homeless, motorized versus non-motorized trails, the Knik Arm Bridge, oil taxes, resource development, our state’s fiscal future? Join host Shelly Wade and UAA Associate Professor and Director of Debate, Steve Johnson, when they talk about the state of civic discourse in our community and our state, on the next Hometown, Alaska.

Did you know that the very first Pioneer Home opened in Sitka in 1913 to give homeless men a safe place to stay? Today, the State of Alaska operates six homes serving about 460 men and women. Anchorage’s home, just a block off the Park Strip, is the largest. What is it like to live there? How do you qualify? If you know a Pioneer Home resident or someone working there, or you just have questions about how the homes work, join us for a conversation about Alaska’s Pioneer Homes and the story behind them.

Anchorage is the end of the line for touring musical artists. It takes a lot of time and money for a musical act to get here. But more musicians are coming than ever before, and not only with the non-profit Concert Association. We’ll be talking with one of Anchorage’s busiest promoters, hearing from a recording artist who has been back several times, and talk about favorite concert memories and dreams.

KSKA: Weds. 1/16 at 2:00 p.m. and in the evening after Governor Parnell’s State of the State Address

Is there someone you want to thank for their helping hand? Agencies, non profits, community organizations are invited to give their volunteers a public thank you on Hometown Alaska, featuring special guest super-volunteer Rick Fox.

The Cold War doesn’t seem that long ago, but folks are already preserving its history . It’s part of deciding what in this young city deserves to be set aside and preserved for posterity. To discuss these choices, this week’s guests are Greg Derocher, a veteran who served at the Nike missle site above Anchorage and now is trying to save it, and Jo Antonson, who evaluates historic sites for the State of Alaska. Join us with your ideas about what is worth saving from our past, and why.

What would it be like to spend 12,000 hours flying a small plane through the Alaska Range? What would it be like to land that small plane on Ruth Glacier in Denali National Park? Join me, Shelly Wade, when I talk with Holly Sheldon Lee, daughter of famous Alaskan bush pilot, Don Sheldon, and her husband, accomplished pilot David Lee, when we hear their stories about life as an Alaskan glacier pilot.

What can you learn by joining an orchestra? The discipline of practice. A way to express yourself. A commitment to not let fellow musicians down. That’s true in any orchestra, and especially in the Hiland Mountain Correction Center women’s string orchestra, performing its 9th holiday recital this December. Learn more about how the orchestra began, who pays for it and what participants think of the opportunity.

If you are up late listing to election returns Tuesday night, don’t worry. Our political junkie analysis doesn’t start until 2pm on Hometown Alaska. Two former legislators look at the results from the perspectives of the Democrats and Republicans, from the presidential pick at the top of the ticket through the new legislature, where control of the state Senate and the future of oil taxation and state finances hang in the balance.

Spine tinglers and hair raisers—the perfect recipe for a fine Halloween! This week Hometown Alaska will feature local storytellers who know just how to scare the starch right out of you! Join us for some great stories, and share your family and neighborhood traditions.

Runners are a brotherhood and sisterhood. We may run alone over miles of trails, but our major running events are among the largest public gatherings that ever happen in Anchorage, and training builds strong social bonds. Host Charles Wohlforth, a runner himself, welcomes guests and listeners to talk about running, training, races, equipment, trails, injury prevention, and the lifetime benefits of fitness on the next Hometown, Alaska.

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Mission: To serve as a trusted public forum and education source that inspires Alaskans with stories of their time and place, informs them with news from the local to the global, and connects them to a statewide community through shared experiences and interests.